Asian American journalist says she was denied anchor promotion for being the ‘wrong minority’

Carl Samson
Fri, June 10, 2022,

An Asian American journalist who previously worked at Kansas-based Fox 4 (WDAF-TV) is reportedly suing the station’s parent company over her former news director’s alleged refusal to promote her for being the “wrong minority.”

Megan Murphy, better known as Megan Dillard, started working for Fox 4 in 2014 under a three-year contract, according to the suit. In 2017, she signed a new three-year deal when the station promoted her to news anchor.

In 2019, Murphy expressed interest in the lead evening anchor position when the journalist occupying the role, an African American woman only identified in the suit as “D.R.,” announced her departure. However, Sean McNamara, who became news director in December of the same year, allegedly refused to consider Murphy for the job.

The lawsuit, according to KCUR, alleged that McNamara denied Murphy the opportunity because “she was not Black/African American, which Defendant considered to be the ‘right’ minority.” The position reportedly remained open until August 2020 when the station hired Christel Bell, who is African American.

Murphy, who now works as director of public relations for the Independence School District, left Fox 4 in 2019 ahead of her contract’s expiration. She said the station’s discriminatory actions “left her with no choice but to resign.”

Murphy is suing Texas-based Nexstar Media Group, the parent company which owns Fox 4. She is seeking unspecified damages under Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act, the federal law against intentional racial discrimination.

NextShark has reached out to Murphy and Nexstar for comment.